Don't Let Go
by TotallyNuts
Summary: (GNxSSX) Gan Ning just couldn't sit back and let the one thing he loved leave his life forever... (all kingdoms, and some LXxXQ)
1. The Chase

Disclaimer (for throughout the whole of this fic)- I do not in any way own Koei or Dynasty Warriors.I do not own the characters, just the story.

A/N- This is my second fic that I'm working on. I don't use history much in my stories but I will add some little facts. Even if you don't like the GN/SSX pairing you may like it as it's not a Wu based fic like my other. I'm trying to include all 3 kingdoms in some way or another. This chapter is a little short as it's just the introduction part setting the scene- other chapters will be longer. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! (and no plagiarists please, I've just dealt with one, and I don't want to have to deal with another!)

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Chapter One: The Chase

The horse galloped with all of its strength as it sped through the thick dense forest, the speed so great knocking down everything in it's path. Branches snapped as it raced past the tall trees, causing several browned autumn leaves to fall on the ground. The twigs crunched on the forest floor as the horse's hooves stomped on them grinding them down into the soil, and the cool air rushed through the horse's mane. The horse was not being chased- it was in hot pursuit. The owner was sat atop the horse holding on as tight as possible as his jet-black mare raced into the distance ahead. The fire burned bright in the man's eyes as he fixed his gaze ahead trying to look for the object he was so desperately after. Time was quickly running out and he needed to stop that carriage. There was no way that he was going to let her leave him on his own. He needed her more than anyone would ever know, but instead of telling her this he merely kept his feelings bottled up inside him, too scared to reveal them to anyone. What would they all think of him once they found out about this?

It was far too risky- the girl's father was overprotective of her and also it would be too dangerous to ruin the plan especially after all of the continuous days, weeks and months of preparations. To ruin them now would mean hell between Wu and Shu, and no one wanted to miss out on such a great opportunity as an alliance. It seemed like the only way that Cao Cao would be vanquished, but was it morally right to offer someone in marriage to seal an alliance? The man had been deeply angered by Zhou Yu's proposals of sending Sun Shang Xiang, the daughter of Sun Jian, to Shu in order for her to marry Liu Bei the Shu emperor. He felt that Shang Xiang didn't deserve to end up with a man like Liu Bei. Sure he seemed virtuous and noble, but he would never be able to love her. She deserved someone better than that. It was hard to accept that the plan was going ahead, but it was even harder to watch her leave. Everyone had lined up outside the Wu castle to bid her farewell- the Qiao sisters were in tears and weeping into their husbands' chests, and even Sun Jian let out a tear of sadness.

What would become of Wu without Sun Shang Xiang? She was their ray of sunshine on the battlefield, the laughter on an otherwise boring day, and she made the man feel that battles were worth fighting. He had tried not to cry as he watched his best friend disappear into the carriage- he had promised her he'd be strong and he rarely broke a promise. Just two hours had passed before he realised that he couldn't go on without her. Without her he had nothing left. No one to spar with, share problems with, or even play pranks on the other generals with. They shared the same sense of humour and their personalities matched. He was wild and rebellious and so was she. She enjoyed adventure and going to battle- yet another similarity between them. But more recently he had felt that there was more than shared interests between them.

It was hard to describe the way he felt whenever she was around. His heart beat would increase to the point where he felt he was going to pass out, he'd get nervous when the conversations got serious, and he would even find himself daydreaming as she spoke in her beautiful voice. No he'd never felt like this before in his entire life, but he soon realised that it was a good feeling. His heart felt as warm as a log fire and when it felt like this he felt content. The fact that Wu was at war was completely forgotten as he thought about the vivacious Wu princess and all the time that they'd spent together. His feelings were too strong to just throw away and deep down he knew that he had to tell her. Tell her how much he was really going to miss her, how much she meant to him, and how much he loved her…

As the horse turned around a smooth corner the carriage became visible, the roof just about showing between the leaf covered trees. The man kicked the side of his horse, encouraging it to speed up. The horse, being a battle horse, was much faster than the carriage and he knew that it would catch up- it just had to. Gan Ning wasn't going to let Sun Shang Xiang go that easily…

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If you liked this chapter, review please! If you didn't, I'd be really grateful if you could leave a review saying why you didn't like it so then I can try and improve it in future. I'm working on the second chapter already, so expect an update soon! TN


	2. Not the Same

This is the second chapter... if you're not a fan of the Xiao Qiao/Lu Xun pairing then you may not like it. I just thought I'd be different (aren't I always?). This takes place a few hours after Sun Shang Xiang has left for Shu...

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Chapter Two: Not the Same

As he looked up into the orange sky Sun Jian sighed. Had he made a mistake that he'd regret forever? He honestly didn't know but he hoped he hadn't. He had sworn to his wife Lady Wu on her deathbed that he'd never let anything bad happen to the Sun children, and that was a promise he'd sworn to keep. He knew that Sun Ce and Sun Quan were old enough to look after themselves now but even that didn't stop him from keeping an eye out for them. Ce was always getting himself into all kinds of sticky situations and Jian would always have to bail him out. Quan on the other hand was a bit more careful than that, but there were times where even he made bad judgements. Jian was protective of his sons, and even more so of his youngest and only daughter Sun Shang Xiang.

Right from the moment she was born he had taken an immediate shining to her. She was bright girl with an interest in martial arts and weaponry, and part of Jian was glad that she had found something she had liked. It was better that she was studying and learning instead of chasing the young men of Wu. He was glad that the influence of the Qiao sisters hadn't rubbed off on her- two insanely girly girls was more than what Sun Jian could handle! Thank goodness that they were married. Marriage was something that every girl wished for. At least, that was what Sun Jian had thought…

Sun Shang Xiang had protested defiantly on hearing the news that she was to be married to Liu Bei of Shu. She was even angrier because she hadn't even been told directly about it. Instead she had heard from Da Qiao who was talking about wedding dresses at the time. When Shang Xiang had asked Da whose wedding it was, Da had simply replied "Yours." The Wu princess became filled with rage and let all of her anger out on Zhou Yu who had suggested the marriage. Straight after she had heard from Da she ran through the castle thirsty for Zhou Yu's blood. When she had found him, she pulled out a small dagger from one of her boots and chased him throughout the courtyard. If Lu Meng hadn't been teaching Lu Xun outside then she would've done some serious damage to the strategist. When she was angry she definitely let it show. She had inherited the Sun family attitude of fieriness and all out determination, even more so than her brothers. She was a true tomboy at heart, and that was what worried her father.

Sending her away for marriage seemed like a good idea for getting friends in good places, but he worried about how his daughter would cope. Shang Xiang would refuse to wear anything remotely feminine so Jian could only imagine how she'd react when she'd see the dress that the Qiaos had selected for her wedding. She had already reacted badly when she had been made to wear a dress for the journey to Shu. She screamed and threatened to rip the dress to shreds with her chakrams, but what was really strange was how she acted during her last few hours in Wu. Shang had hardly said a word. No arguing, no crying… nothing. It was as if her fiery spirit had been broken and was no more. She let the guards take her to her carriage without a struggle, and before going inside she had just given a single solemn wave to everyone. No tears fell from her eyes as she stepped inside, sat down, and looked out of the window as the carriage started on its way to Shu. She had turned into the shadow of her former self…

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"Do you think he's going to be okay?" asked Xiao as she stood from her and Da's tea room window. She was looking at Sun Jian in the courtyard, and she could sense that he was not himself. She knew that he'd been incredibly quiet since Sun Shang Xiang had left a few hours ago, just keeping himself to himself. At least he isn't locked up inside his office like he was before thought Xiao as she leant against the frame. 

"We'll all have to get used to it Xiao," said Da as she poured some tea into two cups. "We're all going to miss her immensely but there's not much that we can do about it. At least we know she's going to be safe in Shu with Liu Bei."

"I suppose so sis." Xiao sighed to herself, and then walked over to the table and chairs where Da was already sat and drinking her tea. "Do you think that Shang Xiang will manage being married?"

Da removed the cup from her lips. "I honestly don't know Xiao. She's not really the marriage type, but at least she'll have some stability in her life. Liu Bei is the Emperor of Shu and can protect her- if not, protect her from herself."

Xiao nodded and sipped some of her tea. She was one of those who would miss Shang Xiang. Being roughly the same age as her they got along quite well. Shang would teach Xiao how to be less 'womanly' and how to be tough and strong. Xiao would've tried to teach Shang Xiang how to be more feminine but she knew that the Wu princess would be having none of it. Nothing was going to force Sun Shang Xiang out of her rebellious ways, not even an arranged marriage so it seemed. Shang just wasn't the type of person who looked like they could settle down in married life. She'd always been different from the start and Xiao had noticed that from the first moment she came to Wu with Da. When they were first introduced to the Wu princess they had to take a closer to look just to make sure it wasn't a pageboy they were looking at. They had expected the 'Wu princess' to be wearing a pretty feminine dress, have long flowing ornament decorated hair and be surrounded by handmaid. What they saw however was a tall short-haired girl wearing battle garments, holding on to two chakrams and trying to beat up her brothers. The Qiao sisters soon got used to Shang's tomboyish charm and ways as had all of the generals who had joined Wu. It was impossible not to like Shang Xiang!

"I'm going to miss her loads Da," said Xiao. She fidgeted with one of her dress sleeves. "It's going to be no fun without her."

"Sure it will!" Da patted her younger sister's shoulder. "You can still have fun with the others! How about Sun Ce! I'm sure my husband will find you another playmate! Or Lu Xun? You get along well with him…"

On hearing Lu Xun's name Xiao sighed. That golden eyed boy had been the object of her affections for a while now. She smiled whenever she was around him, and she would often find herself drifting into a dream like state, day dreaming about Xun. She wasn't tied down to anyone yet- Da had married Sun Ce a few years ago and they were happy, but Xiao was waiting to find her perfect man. She had begged her father not to let him marry her to Zhou Yu. She hadn't wanted to spend the rest of her life married to the sometimes emotionless Wu strategist. Xiao wanted to be free to choose whoever she wanted to, and it had hurt her deeply to see how the already seemingly free Sun Shang Xiang had been arranged to marry Liu Bei. Xiao almost felt sorry for her. Shang Xiang was like a little sister to her so of course she wanted to protect her. How could she when she was being sent to Shu? At least she'd have Lu Xun to comfort her- he'd always make her feel better, whether it was taking her for walks or teaching her to ride a horse properly without falling off! All of her memories with him were happy ones.

"I'll miss her though," Xiao said quietly. "It won't be the same. How will we all cope?"

"I know. Sun Ce will miss her, and I'm sure that even though he doesn't show it much, Sun Quan will too. They've never had to see their sister leave for good…"

"What?" Xiao looked shocked. "What do you mean for good? Isn't she coming back?"

"Xiao- calm down! Shang Xiang needs to learn how to be a good wife and to stay at her husband's side…"

"I can't believe this! So now I'll never see my best friend again?" A tear ran down Xiao's face. "This is why I didn't want to marry Zhou Yu! This was all his idea wasn't it? Well?"

Before Da could even get a reply in Xiao had stood up and stormed past her in a fury. Da suspected where her sister was heading, so she quickly got up to follow Xiao before she started any trouble…

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Zhou Yu was sitting in his study making strategic battle plans for the future when he heard the loud footsteps quickly approach his door. Someone knocked on it quite heavily- normally everyone knew not to disturb Yu while he was working so it was a bit odd that someone had dared knock. He put his quill back in his inkpot and was just about to stand up when the younger Qiao burst in. 

"You monster!" she cried out as she lunged for him. "You selfish, cold, heartless pig!"

"Lady Qiao!" Zhou Yu backed away towards the window as Xiao approached him. He knew better- when the Wu women got angry they definitely got angry…

"You sent Shang away just so you could get your dirty hands on Jingzhou!"

"That's not true Xiao! We need this alliance!"

"Really? Or is that you just need an ego boost?" Xiao grabbed Zhou Yu's sword from by his desk and raised it in front of her. She was about to make a swipe at him just as Da quickly entered the room.

"Xiao!" Da grabbed her sister and carefully disarmed her. "We know you're angry but please don't hurt anyone! This alliance is for the best- we need to defeat Cao Cao together."

Xiao started to weep. "But what if we have to go against Shu one day? We'd have to go against Shang Xiang! I could never do that…" She looked at Zhou Yu. "He probably would… selfish bastard…" She gave him an evil glare as Da put the sword back to where it was. "I hope you're pleased with yourself you stupid strategist!"

Zhou Yu declined to reply as the elder Qiao took her distraught sister out of the room. He hadn't wanted this- he had thought that everyone would be excited about the alliance with Shu. Since he had announced his plans everyone had been quiet, almost silent. All of the senior officers had suggested going ahead with the plan but the generals had been more reluctant. Sun Jian had only agreed because, being Sun Shang Xiang's father, he had been worried that his daughter would never get married during his lifetime, and Sun Ce had agreed because, well, he was Yu's sworn brother and didn't like to disagree with him. Zhou Yu had just assumed that everyone had thought of the plan as a good one so after a decision was reached he set about implementing it. It was hard as there was virtually no cooperation from Shang Xiang. Yu thought that all girls dreamed of a fairy tale wedding to a prince, but here was Shang Xiang with the Emperor of Shu being practically offered to her and she was refusing! Part of Yu had been relieved when she decided to go for the sake of being too upset to rebel.

He sighed and walked back to his desk. He looked down and grazed his eyes over the plans he had just made. Was he that heartless and emotionless? No wonder she didn't want to marry me, he thought as he sat back down. But my job is to what's best for Wu… isn't this the best thing? Zhou Yu's mind went back to that morning when Shang Xiang had left. He remembered the emptiness of her expression- she was like a ghost. He would miss her (even though he didn't admit this to anyone else), and she was like a little sister to him. When she was younger she would ask him about strategies and how to plan battles… he had been slightly relieved when she took more of an interest in weaponry as she did ask too many questions sometimes! It was then that he realised that this was how Xiao was feeling… and for the first time he felt regret…

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A/N- Done! I hope that was ok... the ending wasn't brilliant but please review! More coming soon... 


	3. Confessions of the Heart

I hope everyone had a nice Easter holiday! And if you don't celebrate it I hope you enjoyed the break! I'm on a two week holiday so I'm having fun... if working counts as fun. But I have done the next chapter of this fic! It's a long chapter... I won't give anything away to you guys... you'll have to read first:) Thank you againguysfor all of the positive feedback! I'm actually really happy with the way this is turning out although I am finding it hard to resist the temptation of putting my usual jokes in. Hehe... anyway enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter Three: Confessions of the Heart

(Sun Shang Xiang PoV)

I hope they're all happy now! Did they really want me gone that badly? Well, I'm going. I don't exactly want to… I just want them to suffer. I don't even know if they'll miss me or not. Xiao was hysterical before I left- she was practically clinging onto my dress begging me not to go. Yes, I'm wearing a dress… Dad wanted me to do one thing for him before I went. As he said his final goodbye to me I thought I saw tears form in his eyes. I knew he'd be upset- he'd always been overprotective of me and now he wouldn't have anyone to protect. He could always protect the next Sun but that was Quan, and I'm sure Quan can take care of himself. He's a tough guy, although I think he was about to cry too. When I hugged him goodbye he didn't want to let go. He held onto me and said "Look after yourself little sister" before Ce had to come and separate him. I'd been close to both of my brothers and didn't want to leave them. Sure they could be annoying at times but they were my family- they were part of me. They helped raise me and they were probably the main reason I was such a tomboy.

The lack of a female role model in my life was another reason (I don't consider the Qiao sisters as any type of role model) but that didn't bother much. Weaponry and martial arts just came naturally to me and Dad didn't seem to mind a bit. At least I wasn't too much of a girly girl… that thought is just sickening to me! Everyone seems to like the tomboy me. I know Liu Bei won't so that's another reason I'm wearing this dress. Don't want to ruin Zhou Yu's plans now do we? I suppose I was lucky enough to sneak my chakrams on board with the help of Gan Ning. I know he wants me to be safe and I rarely go anywhere without them. At least I'll have something to remind me of the good times.

I still can't believe this is happening. It's all gone so fast! One minute I'm in the courtyard sparring with Gan Ning and Sun Quan and the next I'm being carted off to Shu for marriage. I don't even want to get married. Well, not to Liu Bei anyway. Yeah, I like someone else… I didn't tell anyone of course for fear of upsetting Zhou Yu and making him angry. I've seen him angry before and it isn't that nice. He'd just go quiet and moody for days, and I've seen the scared looks on his bodyguards' faces. But still I'm going to regret not telling Gan Ning how I feel. He's the best friend I've ever had, even better than Xiao. I know Xiao is good for a girly giggle and for those rare occasions that I'm in a gossip mood, but I can go to Gan Ning for more than that. Well, I could to him for more than that.

We used to talk about so much- our past lives, our problems, our futures… he's just such a fascinating guy. I know everyone was wary of having an ex-pirate join Wu but I didn't see him for that. I saw deep down into his personality and saw him for who he truly is. I must have a gift for those type of things. I trusted him that day four years ago when I was just 16, and I still trust him to this day. I always will…part of me is saying that I love him, but how does he feel? I'm guessing he still sees me as a little girl- Xiao is older than me and he still calls her 'Little Qiao'. Am I still 'Little Sun'? I guess I'll never know now… ouch! What was that?

(Out of PoV)

The carriage stopped to an abrupt halt and Sun Shang Xiang was sent flying onto the floor of the carriage. As she lay in a heap on the floor she heard more than one horse neighing and whinnying outside. That's strange she thought as she regained her composure, there's only one horse on the carriage… She flattened out the new creases in her red dress and tried to open the carriage door. It was locked, and as she tried to force it open she could hair people talking outside. At least she thought it was talking- it sounded like a man arguing with the carriage driver. It wasn't just any man either…

"Ning!" she gasped as she gave the door another tug. "Let me out of here!" she cried out, hoping someone would hear her and open the door. "LET ME OUT!"

From where she stood she heard someone run to the door and frantically rip off the locks. They then forced open the door with all of their strength and stood before the surprised Wu princess. Tears filled Sun Shang Xiang's eyes as she came into view with the man who stopped the carriage.

"It's you!" she cried as she threw herself into Gan Ning's tattooed muscular arms. He held onto to her tightly as she started to sob into his chest.

"Of course it's me," he replied quietly. He then looked down at her tears. "Hey, don't cry!"

"But I'm so happy to see you!" she said looking up into his eyes. "I thought I'd never see you again…"

"Same here. I didn't want you to leave." Gan Ning then turned his attention towards the guards who were watching him with some confusion. They were stumped as to why he had raced his horse in front of the carriage forcing it to stop. They had seen the determined look on his face and were scared about what he'd do if they didn't… Ning glanced at them and they quickly turned around. It was clear he wanted some privacy.

"Is that why you stopped the carriage Ning?" Shang Xiang asked as she held onto him. He nodded and she smiled weakly. The tears were still falling down her cheeks. "I'm glad you did, but they're still going to send me to Liu Bei."

Gan Ning blinked at her. Where was her tomboy defiance? Where was the girl he knew to be fiery and independent? Where was Shang Xiang? "Shang, do you honestly think that I'm going to let your father send you away like that?"

"You wouldn't go against him!"

"Oh really?" He smiled and whispered something to her. "We need to sort those guys out first."

"My guards?" she whispered back. "Why?"

He sighed. "I need to tell you something. Something I've needed to tell you for a while now." Ning lowered his head and racked his brains trying to think of a way to tell her. It was hard- he'd never felt like this about anyone before and even if he had he'd still find it hard. Shang Xiang wasn't exactly known for being a romantic person- everyone thought that she was oblivious to it all. Ning had no idea how she'd react.

"You can tell me anything Ning," she said. "You're my best friend and you always will be. Just go ahead and tell me."

"I don't know how to tell you…"

She took a breath and smiled at him. "If it helps, I have something to tell you too. I'm a little nervous about telling you but I'll do it anyway…"

The pair then stood there staring at each other, each one as scared as the other to reveal their own feelings. Shang put one of her hands on his and gazed into his eyes. She wanted to know if he felt the same way about her as she did about him. To her great relief he smiled at her and his grip on her hand tightened. Did that mean…?

"Shang, I-"

Gan Ning was cut off by Shang Xiang's index finger which she had placed on his lips. After a second she removed it, for she knew exactly what he was going to say. She partly knew from the way he protected her on the battlefield and constantly kept her company. Her handmaids had kept giggling at her whenever she hung out with him- she kept checking herself in case there was something stuck on her back or anything like that making her look out of place. It was only later that she realised that they were giggling about how perfect her and the ex-pirate were together.

The Wu princess blushed in front of her friend. She rarely blushed and was feeling a bit embarrassed. She was feeling all kinds of different emotions now. Anxiety, confusion, love- the whole mixture was making her feel strange. She tried to clear her mind as she moved slowly towards his face, and then softly kissed his warm lips. She blushed a bright shade of red and buried her head into his chest leaving Gan Ning looking into the distance quite surprised. He had absolutely no idea she felt that way about him. If he knew her well (and he did), he knew she had never even kissed a guy before and he admired her courage for kissing him.

He brushed some of her hair from her chin and gently raised it up so she was looking at him. Before she could say anything back he was kissing her with all of the love he felt for her. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck. He noticed that she was kissing him back as they embraced and neither wanted the moment to end. Hidden feelings were revealed as the pair showed their love for each other.

"Ning," Shang said after their moment, "I can't leave you now! I don't want to let you go… you're the only person I've ever loved. I can't let this feeling go…"

Ning pulled her into a hug. "It's alright Shang Xiang, because I have a plan…"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want to go to Shu?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Okay, do you want to go back to Wu?"

Shang shook her head. "No… because they'll send me to Shu again…"

Ning nodded. "Well, I have an idea, but it's risky. I need to know if you'll go ahead with it. I love you and I don't want to let you go." He sighed, and then looked into her eyes. "Run away with me."

"Ning, what are you saying?"

"Run away with me, so far away that you'll never have to worry about being sent to that Shu pig as part of a ruse. It will just be us, just like the good old times, and I promise with all my heart that I'll always love you and never let you down. I want to be there for you… I want to be with you…"

Shang Xiang let a tear out and wrapped her arms around him tighter. It was hard choice she had to make. Marriage, home, or Gan Ning? She didn't want to marry Liu Bei or be sent back home. But Gan Ning? She knew that if she went with him she'd be happy just as she'd always done. Her heart was telling her to go with the pirate as was her head.

"I just need to think about it," she said quietly. She let go of him and disappeared into the carriage, closing the door behind her. Gan Ning stood alone- he was hoping that she'd say yes. He knew that he'd probably be in trouble for 'stealing' the princess away and ruining the plans but he couldn't just let go of love. Especially not now.

The guards turned around from where they stood and looked at Gan Ning again. He glared at them again and they obediently turned around again. If Ning was going to take Shang Xiang how would he get rid of them? He didn't know, but it all depended on Shang's response…

A few minutes passed before Sun Shang Xiang re-emerged from the carriage, and Ning had to blink twice just to see if his eyes weren't deceiving him. Shang had changed out of her dress and into her sparring gear. She had in one hand a bag containing her valuables and some other clothes and in her other hand her chakrams. She had a huge smile on her face.

"Of course I want to go with you Gan Ning!" she said cheerily. She dropped her things and hugged him. "You're the only thing I need from now on and I trust you with my life." She then kissed his cheek. "I'll run away with you to wherever you want to go."

Ning smiled at her. "I'm glad." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before picking up her things. "But we have to go really soon before anyone suspects anything." He pointed his gaze towards the guards. "Now let's go…"

Quickly he and Shang Xiang headed towards his horse which was parked behind the carriage. Ning tied Shang's bundle onto the saddle and lifted her on. He climbed on in front and he felt her two hands from behind hold on tight.

"You ready?" he whispered.

"Yes," she replied quietly into his ear. "Let's go!"

Ning grinned to himself and then kicked the side of his horse hard. It whinnied loudly causing the guards to quickly pull out their swords and turn around. The horse sped past them with the princess and the ex-pirate holding on tightly.

"GET THEM!" the head guard called out. Some of the guards quickly ran to the carriage in an attempt to untie the horse from the carriage but it was too late. Ning's horse was too fast and it had already sped into the distance completely out of sight. They had failed their mission to protect Sun Shang Xiang- that role had now been passed on to someone else…

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A/N- Et voila! End of Chapter 3! I'll start the next chapter soon. And if anyone is interested in beta-reading this storyfor me that would be great. Just e-mail me if you want as I've noticed that some of you guys have noticed spelling errors but I can't see any! I use a spell checker and it doesn't pick any up.If you see 's' where you think a 'z' should be that is because I'm British so I won't do American spellings. Maybe that's why... I didn't say anything about that like I did in my other story. Oh well... laters everyone:) 


	4. Reflecting on the Past

A/N- I know it's been a _very _long time since I updated... I've been so busy lately and I'm going to be even more busy in the next couple of months. Ihave my final exams soon and they're going to consume most of my time but fear not! I will still update and continue fic work when I'm not revising and stuff. Anyway, sorry again about the delay and enjoy this chapter, and than you for being patient!  


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Chapter 4: Reflecting on the Past

As the sunset fell upon the kingdom of Wu the local villagers were heading to their homes ready to rest for the night. Boats were being tied up on the coast and animals were being locked up in their pens and barns by their owners. All in all it was set to be a quiet evening but they hadn't yet felt the loss of the vivacious Wu princess. For them it was just a normal day- some had heard about the departure of Sun Shang Xiang but the celebrations wouldn't get underway until news arrived from the Shu kingdom that she and Liu Bei had been united in marriage. It was just a matter of waiting for that news to arrive and until then life would proceed as usual. If only it was like that in the castle…

Xiao Qiao carefully crept along the corridor leading to her destination. She was always looking behind her, constantly making sure that she wasn't being followed. It was already quite quiet in the castle and she knew that everyone would notice even the slightest noise. Since Sun Shang Xiang had left it had been significantly quieter and it had been felt by everyone- Xiao wondered how she'd cope without her friend. Could she? She honestly didn't know. She slowly approached the door she had been heading to and placed her hand on the golden handle. She gave it a little twist and opened it slowly. The hinges squeaked a bit so to avoid making more noise Xiao squeezed her slim figure through the small gap she had created, closing the door behind her when she was finally in.

The room was exactly how it was before- various types of weapons hung on the wall, the red and gold décor, and the large portrait of the Sun family. Yes, Shang Xiang had made her room as cosy and comfortable as possible and that was one of the main reasons as to why Xiao would always enjoy going there. As soon as she entered the bedroom Xiao felt calm. Just being near Shang's possessions made her feel better. As she walked towards the large bed she picked up a pair of older chakrams and took them with her. Xiao sat on the soft duvet as she held the bladed weapons in her hands and admired them.

She herself had never been a great fan of such weapons and much preferred her twin fans, but she was still grateful that Shang had taught her about the different types before she had chosen. If anyone was good at advising about weapons it was Sun Shang Xiang. Xiao had admired the Wu princess' weaponry skills when she had first arrived in Wu with her sister, Da, and her inquisitive nature made her ask the girl about why she had chosen such a dangerous hobby. Since then Shang had made it her mission do 'de-feminise' the younger Qiao, trying to encourage her to practice using a weapon. In the end Xiao had chosen a pair of battle fans- not because they were practical, but because they 'looked nice and were in pretty colours'. She sighed as she ran her finger along the flat side of the blade, trying to imagine how Shang Xiang must be feeling. _If I'm like this_/ishe thought, _Shang must be a lot worse_…

A gentle breeze blew through the room, causing the curtains to sweep upwards into the air revealing the balcony outside. Xiao Qiao looked in that direction and could see a vague silhouette standing there. She placed the chakrams on the bed and stood up ready to go over. She had no idea who it was- was it someone who had sneaked their way into the castle? She thought briefly about taking the weapons with her for defence but she knew that the castle security was tight as always. Xiao tread lightly across the deep rug as she made her way there, careful not to scare whoever it was.

"It's alright Xiao- I know you're there. Please, come and join me."

She relaxed on hearing the deep and comforting voice of Sun Jian, so she moved some of the curtain to one side and stood outside to join him. They both stood there, gazing out at the sunset over the horizon.

"I take it that you miss her too?" he said after a few moments of silence.

"Yes I do," she replied, still looking outwards. "She's my best friend- she's like a younger sister to me and I don't know how I can cope without her. I love being here in Wu and since I came here she's made me feel so welcome. And now she's gone…"

"I know how you feel. I hope she's alright…" Jian sighed. "I feel as if I've let her down in some way… have I been a terrible father?"

"Of course not Sun Jian! You've been the best father to her and you know that!"

"I suppose, but I can't forgive myself for sending her away! She probably hates me for going ahead with Zhou Yu's plans. She didn't say anything but I know my little girl. She hates me…"

"She does not hate you! She loves you and didn't want to show how much she missed everyone. You know what she's like. She doesn't like crying publicly." Xiao put a hand on Sun Jian's arm. "She was probably too upset to display any emotion."

"I hope so…" Sun Jian crossed his arms and looked down, trying to hide the fact that he, a fully grown man, felt so upset he was about to shed a tear. "So what brings you here Xiao?"

Xiao moved her arm away and started to fiddle with her waist ribbon. "I wanted to be near Shang, and her room was where I liked to hang out with her. I feel her presence in the room because I'm so used to her being in there. I was just holding a pair of her chakrams and trying to imagine how she's feeling. I'm no good at empathy but I know she must be pretty bad. I just wish I could've gone with her, but I wouldn't settle in Shu and Da wouldn't let me go."

"I know you wanted to go, but that's not part of Zhou Yu's plan. It was just Shang Xiang who was meant to go. I just hope it works out for the best…"

"Do you think that Liu Bei can love her?"

Sun Jian lifted his head up and looked at the young woman. "I honestly don't know. I want her to find love so much- she deserves it. I don't know Liu Bei well enough to know what he's really like, but I also don't know whether or not Shang Xiang is capable of loving someone. She's never shown that side of herself before." He sighed again. "Only time will tell…"

* * *

At the large dinner table in the Wu castle dining hall all of the generals sat down ready eat- each one of them was silent. It was hard to say anything at that point. One of the key members of the castle had left them and it was hard to go through the day without her. It was as if they expected Shang Xiang's voice to laugh in conversation as it usually did, or make a funny comment and make everyone else laugh.

Sun Ce, near the head of the table, looked down the row of generals. They all looked unhappy, but could he really blame them? He was missing his sister too and it wasn't as if he wasn't as miserable as they were… He also noticed how empty the table seemed. His father Sun Jian wasn't in his normal head seat but Ce expected that he wanted some time to himself. He also noticed that his sister-in-law, Xiao, wasn't in her seat either, and neither were Gan Ning or Lu Xun. Da had told him that Xiao was probably being upset in her room, but that didn't explain where Ning and Xun were. He guessed that Ning was probably out drinking and Xun was studying somewhere…

Just as he was going to say something to he silent party the main door opened and Sun Jian entered, closely followed by Xiao Qiao. Jian took his seat and Xiao went to sit in hers, which was now Shang's old seat next to Sun Quan. Xiao looked down at the table and felt a bit awkward. She didn't want to seem like a replacement to Shang Xiang as she knew she'd be a poor one.

Sun Jian stood up from where he sat and began to speak. "Good evening everyone. I just wanted to say that I know the next few days, possibly weeks, will be hard. We're all pretty much used to seeing Sun Shang Xiang around and it will take some time getting used to the fact that she's not here. All we can do is try and cope the best we can and wish her the best of luck for her future. Are they any questions you'd like to ask before we eat?"

There was a brief silence before a hand shot up. It was Zhou Tai's.

"Yes Zhou Tai?"

"Do we know when we'll find out about the marriage?"

Sun Jian nodded. "Once she is married to Liu Bei, Shu will send a messenger to inform us of how everything went and to confirm the marriage. Are there any more questions?" He looked down the table and Lu Meng's hand was raised in the air. Jian nodded towards him.

"This may be completely unrelated," Meng started, "but does anyone know where Gan Ning and Lu Xun are? I haven't seen them for a while…"

"I did see Lu Xun hurry off somewhere," answered Sun Quan. "I didn't stop him because I assumed it was something important and didn't want to get in his way. I don't know about Gan Ning… have you tried his boat? He might be there fishing quietly. I know he misses Shang Xiang… I've never seen him so quiet before."

"I think everyone will be quiet for a while," said Jian. "It will just take some getting used too. Now, I think we're all hungry- let's eat. We'll talk afterwards."

When he sat down all of the generals started to get food from the middle of the table and begin to eat their evening meal. It was so silent that they could actually hear each other eating. This wasn't normal as usually the sound of chewing and drinking was drowned out by the sound of lively chatter. Where was all of Wu's energy?

Zhou Yu looked up nervously from where he sat to the Sun family portrait that was on the wall in front of him and behind Huang Gai. He looked at it closely, and at the way the four members were standing. They looked so happy, all together as one close knit family unit. But now this wasn't the case. Yu was sure that if that portrait was to be redone then the expressions would be so much different. What made him feel most awkward was the expression of the painted Shang Xiang. Her bright beaming smile and her eyes sparkling as she knelt in front of her father… she looked so content and happy, and Zhou Yu felt as if he'd erased her happiness. Now that he'd heard what Xiao had to say he felt bad about the whole situation, and it was too late to change it.

"Is something up Zhou Yu?"

Yu turned his head to Lu Meng, who was waiting for a response. "I'll be alright really. I just need to get back to my work and get my mind off of everything that's happened. I always seem to cope best when I have some kind of work to do."

Meng nodded and sipped some of his wine. "I always find that a walk helps me deal with my problems. Or maybe you should just take a break from it all. I've seen how hard you work and any normal person would take a break."

"I don't know… it's important that I stay focused. Between now and when we get the Jing province is very crucial. We need this to work…"

"I understand Yu, but don't work yourself up about it. If ever you feel as if you've got too much work to do just hand it over to either myself or Lu Xun. You know how much Xun wants to be a strategist. He looks up to you and will be grateful to have something to do."

"Yes… but where is he? If he was studying, wouldn't he be here and eating with us? It's not usual for him to go away somewhere without telling any of us first."

Lu Meng shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea but I suspect he'll be back in the castle before it gets dark. He knows best than to worry everyone." Meng knew that Xun was alright. If anything was ever wrong Lu Xun would always go to him for advice. He liked to look out for the young man and make sure that there nothing was worrying him, and also to check that Gan Ning's influence wasn't rubbing off onto him. Sure Xun was a smart man and his intelligence was often compared to that of Zhou Yu's so he knew better than to end up in danger. But where was he? And where was Gan Ning? Meng looked at the empty seats and sighed. It just wasn't like them to leave without notice. It was a good thing that he had no idea what was going on…


	5. Running From It All

A/N- I know it's been so long since I updated this but don't worry I haven't abandoned it! It's just that it's taken me a while to get my facts straight in this. I wanted to make sure that I didn't sound like the idiot I truly am :) Anyway, I hope you like the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 5: Running From It All  


Looking up into the sunset sky Sun Shang Xing sighed with content. She held on tight to the ex-pirate from behind as they rode further and further towards the boatyard in one of the nearby towns that Gan Ning had docked his boat. As the horse galloped Shang thought about what would happen next on her journey. It had been a quick progression of events- she had been stopped from going to Shu by Ning, and now she had found someone she could love. And he loved her back, which gave her confidence in herself that she was doing the right thing. She felt at ease with Ning- he was her best friend, and now that friendship had blossomed into something more Shang intended to keep it this way. She was happy and so was he. She didn't care much about what everyone else thought about it. They had all tried to send her away to a loveless marriage with someone who would become an enemy if Wu were ever to succeed in unifying China, and she couldn't care less. As long as she had her Gan Ning that was all that mattered…

Gan Ning sat at the front of the horse, and he could feel Shang's grip on him tightening. He smiled to himself as he heard the Wu princess sigh deeply and rest her head on his back- could he blame her for being this tired? Emotionally she was drained and he just wanted to get her somewhere where she could rest, and be safe from anyone who was going to send her to Shu. The fear of someone following them kept getting to him, so quite often he'd grasp the reigns tight, tell Shang Xiang to hold on, and make the horse start galloping at a faster pace. He really didn't want to get caught doing this- he feared that if Sun Jian ever found out he'd be punished severely, and the last thing he ever wanted to happen was to lose his rank and the position he loved so dearly. As much as he loved the pirate life he didn't want to go back to it, especially after discovering the other side of life.

Now he could see the docks approaching in the distance. "Shang? Are you asleep?"

"No…" Shang Xiang straightened her back and sat up properly on the horse instead of slouching onto Ning's back at an awkward angle. "I'm just thinking…"

"Oh… what about?"

"Life in general. It's taken such a huge turn for the better thanks to you." She hugged him. "Thank you."

Gan Ning smiled and touched one of her hands with his. "You don't need to thank me Shang, just knowing that you're happy is all the thanks I need." Shang Xiang snuggled up next to him, resting her head on his muscular shoulders. She didn't need anyone or anything else… she was in a state of bliss this way. Sure, she missed her family and the other generals, but all she had missed was Ning as she was in the carriage. Now she had him, but would it last? They weren't exactly in a hurry to get back to Wu and face the wrath of Sun Jian, but where would they go? Not in Wu that was for sure. Too many local people knew what Sun Shang Xiang and Gan Ning looked like for them to stay in secret, and if they went to Shu Liu Bei would almost certainly recognise them from the many meetings that had taken place between the two kingdoms. It was like there was no place for them to go… unless…

"Er, Ning? Where are you planning on taking us?"

Ning looked forwards at the ever nearing waters. "We can't stay here, you know that?" Shang nodded in reply. "So, I was thinking maybe we could go somewhere a bit further away…"

"How far away?"

"I was thinking maybe Wei… I mean, it's far enough to get you away from Liu Bei and your father, and you'll be safe with me. I won't let anyone hurt you ever, I promise."

"Don't worry," she said softly into his ear. "I know that already."

The sky grew a warmer shade as the pair made it to the shipyard. Ning stopped the horse just outside one of the large boats and spoke to a rough looking man holding in his hand an old spear. The men exchanged a few words and a piece of paper was passed to Ning. Shang tried peering over his shoulder to read what it was, and she could see from her very limited view that it was a map, and quite a large one at that. It showed in detail all of the rivers that flowed through China, as well as locations of the important areas. She was nervous… Wei was a dangerous place, especially for a young woman such as herself. Her father had always told her to watch out for men like Cao Cao, the type of man who 'grabbed the pretty women and treated them like they were nothing'.

She watched as Gan Ning jumped off the horse and let it towards one of the boats. It looked familiar, and Shang Xiang recognised it as one of Gan Ning's boats that he had bought with him when he joined the Wu army. It had been cleaned up this time, and all marks of battle had gone.

"Remember my baby Shang?" Ning pointed towards the ship. "This ship's been with me since I was just a pirate… I thought we could take it. It's a strong ship so it'll take us far. What do you think?"

Sun Shang Xiang nodded and smiled. She'd been on that ship before when Ning had first joined Wu and taken her own little tour around it- it was quite large with a few rooms in it. She had first thought that maybe he'd stolen it from first appearances but she'd quickly learnt that he had worked hard for it as a pirate. She took Ning's hand as he helped her off the horse, and they walked slowly over to the ship.

"I'll just take the horse onto the ship okay?" Shang Xiang nodded in reply and let Ning go over to the ship. She leant on the edge of one of the fences that had been put up near the waters edge and sighed. Was this to be the start of her new life? Maybe so, but she'd miss her family. Gan Ning was all she had now- she had to trust him, not that she didn't. She loved the guy, of course she trusted him!

Suddenly she heard a faint sound in the background… horse hooves… The sound grew louder and it sounded like it was quickly approaching. Shang felt the ground shake as the hooves stomped heavily upon it and she looked in the distance it was coming from. As soon as she saw the figure approach the colour drained from her face. What was HE doing here? She quickly turned around and ran into the ship to the stables. On her way she bumped into Ning, who was now confused as to why she was running with a panicked look on her face.

"Hey Shang!" he said as she ran into his arms. "What's the matter?" He raised his brow a little and lowered the tone of voice. "Sun Jian isn't here already is he?"

She shook her head. "No, but someone like that is here! What are we going to do? He can't make me go back!"

"Who?"

"Look for yourself!"

"Okay I'll go and see… you just stay behind the side of the ship and I'll go see. I'll be back as soon as I can." He planted a kiss on her forehead before leaving her in order to investigate. Shang ran over to the side of the ship and knelt down, just so that she could see what was going on. She watched as Gan Ning walked off the ship and saw the approaching person…

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Ning shouted as he ran over.

"I followed you here in case you did anything stupid, and now you're leaving?" Lu Xun replied. "And now you're stealing Shang Xiang away?"

"You mean saving her from that Shu pig?"

Xun pointed towards the boat. "And I suppose you've hidden her on that boat of yours?"

"What's it to you? Shouldn't you be back in the castle thinking of another strategy of yours?"

To Ning's surprise Lu Xun jumped off his horse and started running towards the ship. "Do you realise how bad this will make us look? Liu Bei doesn't get his bride and a war will start!"

Ning caught up to Lu Xun just as he was near the ship and slammed him against the side of it. Xun cried out a little bit in pain as the larger ex-pirate held him against it. "I will NOT let you take her away, never! I swear if you even try it you'll be paying for it for the rest of your life!" Xun tried to struggle but Ning was far too strong. "And don't even think about telling anyone back at Wu- I know people who can easily do my dirty work for me…"

Shang Xiang stood up from where she was hiding and showed her face to Lu Xun, who was looking upwards. "Please Xun, you can't tell them!" she pleaded desperately. "I love Ning- I can't let him go! No one can send me to Shu; I just won't like it there. I don't want to be near Liu Bei at all, let alone marry him. It's Ning I want to be with, no one else. You have to understand!" She ran off the ship and over to him. "Please…"

"But what about your father… surely he'll be mad!" Xun said as Ning started to loosen his grip slightly. "He'll be even angrier when he finds out that I know about this!"

Ning stared Xun straight in the eyes. "He won't need to find out- you just need to keep your mouth shut."

"So I'm meant to keep quiet about this and keep it all a secret while everyone is worrying about where you are? How do you think Jian will react to the news that the guards give him? They know you took Shang Xiang Ning, they won't lie to him."

"No, they won't. That's why you're going to tell them that there was a raid on the carriage and, I don't know, Shang Xiang ran away from it all. Or some bandits stole her. NOT that I took her." Ning let go of the young strategist and watched as he rubbed his shoulders from where the two large hands had been. He turned to Shang Xiang who had moved closer to his side. He carefully placed an arm around her and held her closer, reassuring her.

Lu Xun straightened his hat slightly and looked at the 'couple'. "So where are you two planning on going on your little journey?"

"That's nothing to do with you Lu Xun," Shang said as she leant against Ning. "We won't tell you."

"But what if something happens to you? We'd have no way of finding out. You guys could be dead tomorrow for all we know! How would Sun Jian find out? Would he ever find out? He's your father Sun Shang Xiang- are you not thinking about him at all?"

"Xun- he was the one who sent me away! I won't be able to forgive him for a while yet… I don't want him to worry too much but I'll be safe with Ning. I always am…"

"I still don't know about this…" Xun looked at them worryingly. "It's not the best thing you've thought of Ning!"

Ning simply rolled his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"It's too risky! I mean, why can't you just take Shang back to Wu and beg Jian to let her stay? Maybe he will give in and call it off…."

"Come on Xun! What are the chances of that happening, and be serious! My life in Wu would be over full stop! Stealing away a princess is a serious offence…" He held Shang Xiang tighter. "I don't want to ruin my chances, and it's too late now. Our minds are made up." Slowly he and Shang Xiang backed away and walked back onto the ship, leaving Lu Xun standing there. The slow walk turned into a run as the princess and ex-pirate quickly ran on board and untied the knot that was tying the ship to the docks. Lu Xun watched as the ship slowly floated, but he couldn't just let them leave like that! Using what energy was left in him he ran as fast as he could and jumped onto the side of the vessel, clinging onto the edge for dear life.

He pulled himself up and held onto the side tightly, looking at the horrified pair. "You can't leave though! Liu Bei will be angry and he could declare war on Wu- we don't need this!"

"I do Lu Xun!" Shang Xiang cried out. "Can't you see? I suppose you don't care because you're a strategist, too wound up in your battle plans and strategies to care about the effects they have on the people!"

The young strategist repositioned himself on the edge, but he couldn't pull himself fully over. "Please, just think about this! It's not too late to go back…"

"I'm sorry Lu Xun…" Shang Xiang sighed, looked at Gan Ning, and walked over to Lu Xun. He was still struggling trying to prevent himself from falling. For a second Lu Xun thought that she was going to offer a hand and help him on board, but to his surprise she made a fist and smacked it on his hands. He howled out in pain as his grip came loose and he plummeted into the deep water below. The ship cruised away from where he bobbed up and down above the surface of the Chang Jiang, and it was then that Lu Xun knew it was definitely too late to stop them now.

Back on the deck Gan Ning suspired deeply as he watched the sunset from the opposite side. It looked as if it was going to be a beautiful and peaceful night, and he knew he could sleep easy knowing that his true love was at his side. As he looked at the warm fiery sun he felt two arms come from behind him and wrap themselves around his torso. He held Shang's two arms and pulled her in front of him, pulling her into a warm and gentle embrace. Less than twenty four hours ago they were just really good friends, and yet now, due to unfortunate circumstances, their friendship had blossomed into something more- a lot more. This journey was going to be an eventful one…


End file.
